Review of Black Narcissus (1947) by Bryan G — 17 Sep 2009

To say that Black Narcissus is the best film ever made about nuns sounds a little funny. I haven't seen too many, and only really have the Sister Act films and Doubt to compare it to. But there is something almost hypnotic with Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's film. From beginning to end, there is an undeniable power that Black Narcissus has, and it is able to create a hold on me unlike any other film. Who knew that a film about nuns trying to build a convent could be so captivating?

On the surface, Black Narcissus seems like a simple film. A small group of Anglican nuns are sent to the Himalayas to open a convent with a school and hospital. Their attempts are to change the local people and their culture. Sister Clodagh (Deborah Kerr), who was selected to head this project, is young but determined. But even a strong willed woman like her can't overcome the various obstacles that face the sisters; which include culture clashes, jealousy and temptations caused by the difficult environment.

I fell in love with the character of Sister Clodagh, and the performance by Deborah Kerr. The film strongly develops her, and makes her into a very complex character. I liked that the film included flashbacks of Clodagh's life before she became a nun, which really humanized and grounded this character. It was interesting that the film showed her to be a flawed person, in particular her attraction to a British agent named Dean (David Farrar), who was stationed in the location prior to their arrival. The scenes where their two different lifestyles (Clodagh's strict way of thinking, Dean's free-spirited ways) went head to head made for a lot of great interactions between the two and a lot of memorable scenes.

The other actors were all great, especially Kathleen Byron who played Sister Ruth. Everything that Clodagh is, Ruth was the complete opposite. She is more popular than the other sisters, and far more attractive. Jealously arises from various other sisters, and leads to a lot of complications. But even Ruth is capable of jealously, especially when she realizes that Dean is more mesmerized with Clodagh. As the film progresses, Ruth becomes more unstable because of this, leading to a clash between Clodagh and Ruth with a very interesting and possibly symbolic color scheme.

Black Narcissus is a beautifully filmed movie, and the cinematography is spectacular. I loved the art direction as well, and the way each location was used. There is a scene towards the end of the film, where the nuns have given up on their attempts at maintaining the convent and they are leaving the Himalayas. Clodagh looks back at their mountain location, and a set of clouds slowly blocks the view. It was a very haunting a beautiful image, and a great way to close out the film.

This movie is very subtle with its themes, and yes it may feel like the film is taking a lot of time to get to something exciting. But Black Narcissus is a surprisingly tense film, that relies more on natural tension builders than cheap and easy ones. So yes, Black Narcissus is a very subtle film. But it uses that to its advantage, and creates a film that perfectly showcases the difficulties facing people in a strange land, the feeling of isolation, the clashes of cultures and the evil that can dwell in all of us.